South Dakota

South Dakota Will Have Abortion On The Ballot This Election—Joining These Other States

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2024

South Dakota Will Have Abortion On The Ballot This Election—Joining These Other States

Topline

South Dakota is the latest state to include a ballot measure in the upcoming election that seeks to protect the right to an abortion, joining three other states in what Democrats hope will boost voter turnout as the party continues to attack Republicans over the issue.

U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at a ”Reproductive Freedom Campaign Rally” at George Mason … [+] University on January 23, 2024 in Manassas, Virginia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

South Dakota: The South Dakota Secretary of State certified the ballot measure Thursday, according to NBC News, weeks after advocacy group Dakotans for Health announced they had gathered enough signatures to do so, which would override the current law that bans the procedure unless it is intended to save the life of the mother.

Florida: The state Supreme Court ruled in early April that the six-week ban signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year will be allowed to take effect May 1, but the ruling also said voters could decide on a constitutional amendment in November that would effectively reverse the law and enshrine the right to abortion.

Arizona: Abortion rights groups said in April they gathered enough signatures to put a constitutional amendment before voters in November to enshrine a “fundamental right” to abortion up until fetal viability, about 24 weeks of pregnancy, or to protect the “physical or mental health of the pregnant individual,” which would effectively reverse the state’s 15-week abortion ban—but the signatures still need to be verified by the secretary of state.

Maryland: Abortion is legal in the state, and voters will decide in November whether to enshrine the right to reproductive freedom into the state constitution via what’s known as the “Maryland Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment,” which declares “the state may not, directly or indirectly, deny, burden, or abridge the right unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

Colorado: Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, a coalition of organizations including Planned Parenthood and the Colorado American Civil Liberties Union, announced mid-April it gathered enough signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot protecting the right to abortion, which is fully legal in Colorado, according to multiple reports.

New York: The constitutional amendment voters were set to decide on would prohibit people’s rights from being denied based on “pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, reproductive healthcare and autonomy,” which would have effectively added the right to an abortion to the existing Equal Protection Clause that prevents discrimination on the basis of “race, color, creed or religion”—but a conservative judge ruled last week that state legislators acted too hastily and blocked the amendment from appearing on the ballot.

What We Don’t Know

Signature drives are underway in Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and Nevada for ballot issues that would expand access to abortion. Several states have dueling measures in the works, including Colorado, where one measure would ban abortion access and another would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution.

What To Watch For

South Dakota’s proposed amendment is expected to face legal challenges, according to multiple local outlets, and NBC News reported such challenges can be filed through June 17. In New York, Attorney General Letitia James said she would appeal the decision to block the ballot measure.

Key Background

Democrats have continued to capitalize on the backlash to Roe v. Wade’s reversal in 2024 by highlighting Republicans’ support for the consequential ruling, while the ballot issues are expected to draw more Democrats to the polls in November. Democrats have also targeted Republicans over the controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling that effectively curtailed access to in vitro fertilization, blaming Roe v. Wade’s reversal for empowering states to make their own decisions on reproductive rights. Former President Donald Trump on Monday clarified his stance on abortion, declaring it should be an issue decided at the state level and on Wednesday said he wouldn’t sign a federal abortion ban into law if he were elected again.

Chief Critic

The Biden campaign is targeting Trump’s role in Roe v. Wade’s reversal in Florida and Arizona in the wake of the recent high-profile state state Supreme Court rulings there that would allow stricter abortion laws to take effect. “Because of Donald Trump, millions of women lost the fundamental freedom to control their own bodies,” President Joe Biden said in an Arizona ad aired Thursday as part of a seven-figure ad buy in the state.

Tangent

Voters have approved a string of abortion rights ballot issues since Roe v. Wade’s reversal, including in red states like Kansas and Ohio, underscoring the issue’s significant sway with voters more than a year after the Supreme Court decision. Democrats also pointed to an obscure state house race in Alabama as a harbinger for how reproductive rights issues could weigh on the November election after Democrat Marilyn Lands, who campaigned heavily on the IVF ruling, cruised to victory last week after losing the race for the seat in 2022.

DOC officials touch on state of prison reform in South Dakota

Published

4 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

DOC officials touch on state of prison reform in South Dakota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The governor’s Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force, which aims to determine the best path forward for expanding services, will hold its second meeting on Wednesday.

The meeting will continue the dive into what programming should look like for the new prison. Officials in the Department of Corrections say they appreciate the attention to the issue shown over the year.

“The focus is in the right place. I think people are asking the right questions. I think that it’s being noticed that reentry in totality is a group effort,” Justin Elkins, DOC Chief of Behavioral Health, said.

Sitting at 43%, lawmakers and the Rhoden administration have dedicated a substantial amount of time to addressing recidivism in the state.

“I think people are starting to see that reentry is something our department needs help within terms of collaboration and relationships. Because we only determine part of the equation when it comes to reentry,” Elkins said.

Corrections Reentry Program Manager Scott Day says this change in perspective regarding inmates is needed.

“95% of these individuals are going to come back into your community. They’re going to be your neighbors. They’re going to work at your local fast-food restaurant or at your local store. You’re going to see them walk down the street. We just need to see as a culture that these aren’t bad people; these are just people who need an opportunity to show that they can succeed.”

The prison reset task force, which focused on the structure of the new prison, ensured that programming space increased from what is currently available, even when the location changed from Lincoln County to Sioux Falls.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t constantly think about what we could do more. And the new prison is needed. We need the space, we need the opportunity to get more programming in there,” Day said.

Day says the investment into programming space is not a matter of being soft on crime but rather smart on public safety.

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South Dakota

Recent Farmland Sales in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, South Dakota

Published

16 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Recent Farmland Sales in Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, South Dakota

Link to the listing: https://www.frrmail.com/…

For more information, contact: Cory Busse, Farm & Ranch Realty, Inc., at 785-332-8345 or frr@frrmail.com

KENTUCKY, Hopkins County. Five tracts of river-bottom cropland totaling 597.9 acres sold at auction for $5.39 million, or $9,015 per acre. Tracts ranged from 16 to 255 acres, with much containing drainage tile. Soil types were primarily Karnak silty clay and loam with some Belknap and Robbs silty loam. Structures included a tool shed and a 5,000-bushel grain bin. Tracts ranged in price from $7,800 to $11,500 per acre.

Link to the listing: https://www.kurtzauction.com/…

For more information, contact: Joseph Mills, Kurtz Auction & Realty Co., at 800-262-1204 or jmills@kurtzauction.com.

SOUTH DAKOTA, Dewey County. A contiguous, 1,529-acre farm sold to a single bidder at auction for $2,600 per acre, or $3.98 million. The property was offered in four parcels, two of which were historically in crop production (wheat, oats, corn and sunflowers) and boasted Soil Productivity Indexes of 70 or higher. Another highly productive parcel was planted in grass and alfalfa but could be converted to row crops. The remaining parcel included a blend of cropland, pasture and an updated home with a steel barn, shop, two Quonset-style buildings, continuous panel corrals and water tank.

Link to the listing: https://glcland.com/…

For more information, contact: Kristen Gill, Gill Land Company, at 701.934.2732 or 605.848.4502 or kristen@glcland.com.

— These sales figures are provided by the sources and may not be exact because of rounding.

— Submit recent land sales to landwatch@dtn.com

Katie Dehlinger can be reached at katie.dehlinger@dtn.com

Follow Katie on social platform X at @KatieD_DTN

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South Dakota

Former South Dakota National Guard adjutant general announces bid for state house of representatives

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Former South Dakota National Guard adjutant general announces bid for state house of representatives

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -The former top official of the South Dakota national guard under former Governor Kristi Noem has announced his campaign to become a state representative for district 33.

Jeff Marlett’s bid makes him a contender in the Republican primary for the district.

Marlett served for 36 years in the South Dakota National Guard which included combat service in Iraq and most recently spending three years as the commanding general of the national guard from 2019 to 2023.

“I’ve always considered that job, it’s not about me, it’s about the great men and women who served in the South Dakota national guard, and I got the opportunity to serve with them so, it was an honor to serve with them,” said Marlette.

Marlette also worked as the west river director under Senator Mike Rounds and served for numerous years as a superintendent of schools for districts in South Dakota. Now Marlette wants to spend his next chapter as a state representative. He explained that he thinks people are “tired of the noise” with politics. He blamed that exhaustion on people stepping away the two major parties.

“They want people that are willing to go, and, and not think they have all the answers and not be wrapped up about, well I’m more Republican thank you are or you’re a dem o.. no, it’s not about that. It’s about looking at meaningful policy, laws if needed, but governing by what’s really truly necessary and best for South Dakota,” said Marlette.

According to a press release for Marlette, he says he will support sensible restructuring of the property tax system, a strong education system and a vibrant environment for business. Marlette said during our interview that he has mixed reviews on the 19 property tax relief proposals out of the property tax task force.

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